Library Advisory Council provides valuable direction to your Library Program
Involve the LAC in social responsibility projects. We collected books for fire-ravaged South Okanagan Secondary in Oliver
Photocopier funds support The Owl Foundation.
Library Advisory Council
Consider creating a student LAC so that you can actively involve students in the needs and future direction of the school library.
Use this sample to create an announcement for your school bulletin or newsletter.
Our LAC has helped to: write our mission statement, put a school-wide library survey into "kidspeak", decorate the library, create library book displays, host a Poetry Slam evening, host a Chapters Fundraiser, collect used eyeglasses, select furniture for the library, assist with selection of resources, write book reviews, collect books for a fire-ravaged school library, sponsor injured owls,etc.
Student Connections
Be Visible and Approachable - Greet the students, actively try to remember the names of a few students (printout of patron photo), stand by the door and say good-bye as students head out to class in the morning, offer to help with book selections, wander about the tables and have a short conversation, check your library "corners" for lost souls and initiate a conversation, try to not appear too busy to help when students approach you, anticipate needs... "Have you tried the Shmoop website?", "Need a pair of scissors?", etc.
Gr. 8 Orientations - If you do schoolwide orientations with all Gr. 8 English classes during the start of the year, you will be able to make invaluable connections with the Gr. 8s. It's a way to introduce them to the library space and available resources in a comfortable way.
Book Review Slips - When a student raves about a book we invite them to complete a book review. Have these handy to give out at the circulation desk, even offer to jot down the student's words as they speak. Display the reviews with a colour picture of the book cover in acrylic holders near the book's locations. Completed reviews go into draw for book/Starbucks prizes. Consider asking several English teachers (junior or senior) to have their classes write these for display in the Library. Another great idea from TL Shanna is to have the new Grade 8s fill out a book recommendation form and stick it in or near the book on the shelf to make their mark on the library. What a fun surprise for whoever signs out the book next!
Book Wish Requests - Students can fill out a small form to request a book to be added to the library's collection. If time, check out the book immediately on Amazon, print off the description and ISBN number, record the requesting student's name, and place the order into your Wish List file.
Whiteboard Whimsy - Ask for comments, provide some whiteboard markers, and enjoy the results - Favourite Summer Read, Grads - Share your Plans?, Wish Mr. Simpson luck on his Marathon run, etc. Post clippings from the newspaper, sports photos, upcoming events at the local public library, anything you think your teens would enjoy reading.
Student New Year's Resolutions
Counter Cards - Even when you are not available, keep the communication going with a small note...."Back in 5 Minutes - at the Office", "Yup, the darn Printer is Down Again", "Help yourself to a bag of apple slices", etc. I have these all written, stacked up and ready to go under the counter.
Chocolate Bars and Candies - I have a basket of these on hand for thanking those great students who help me solve AV issues, offer to move furniture about when the custodians don't show, replace the wheels which fall off my book cart, or deliver heavy boxes to and from my car. Teens will do anything for a bag of Skittles.
Tap into Talents - Have a fabulous artist or Photoshop wizard in your school, know someone with an unusual collection or interest, or possibly you have a pro-golfer in your student body? Tap into these talents by inviting the students to design library signs, bookmarks, webpage projects, design the next library display, or suggest new titles. Two of our Ceramic students made me alligators to display in the library, one boy brought in boxes of his Harry Potter collection to create a dramatic display, another artistic type designed a series of graphic novel bookmarks, and one Art student painted our windows with evergreen branches for the winter.
Conduct a Survey - I would suggest conducting an online survey, but if not you might want to try a paper version using enlisting some of your English classes. I managed an 85% return on a paper one because of our limited computer access. It was very worthwhile as I discovered some great information which directed changes the students wanted. Our WGSS survey was shared with and edited by both my University of Alberta Education Research professor and the LAC before it was administered. Feel free to adapt it to your needs.
Gr. 8 Orientations - connect with teachers by offering them a chance to do their work in a corner of the library while you introduce the library to their classes, send a follow-up letter (attach a red pen or bookmark) to entice them to come down another time.
Library Blend - An idea from Kelly: I do the Tuesday morning coffee as a connection for staff and as a way to welcome new people to the school. It's become quite a tradition and the numbers are really good. We're at the stage where I've had to buy another coffee pot and people sign up to bring goodies. We have a small room where we can meet fairly privately and that also helps bring them in. I like it because we get a variety of people. Men, women, teachers, SEAs, admin, and staff from a number of departments. Every so often I send out a reminder invitation to the entire staff.
Book Club - Another Kelly suggestion: We also have a staff book club that's been quite successful. Again it allows us to make connections and get together to speak about something other than our students for a change! We choose the books in the spring so they can be read during the summer when we all have more time. Here's a copy of my emails throughout the school year to the group:
1. "Classic" read and share - Pick your own classic to read over the summer so you can discuss it in the fall. You decide what constitutes a "classic" and then let the rest of the group know your thoughts. Would you recommend it to others? Why? Why not? Did you learn anything from it? Did you love/hate the author? Are classics still worth reading?
Meeting date: Thursday, October 25th 3:30 in the library.
2. The Fortress of Clouds by Jordan Peters. That's right, we have our own published author at Argyle! I spoke to Jordan and he'd be happy to come to our meeting and talk about his experiences writing this young adult fantasy. It's available on 6 of the Argyle Kindles, or you can download it onto your own device. Follow this link to find it:
[ http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/82123 ]http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/82123
Meeting date: Thursday, December 6th 3:30 in library - celebrate the season at this one?
3. Historical Fiction: "The Soldier's Wife" by Mary Leroy World War Two, Guernsey Island, German Occupation
[ http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10518423-the-soldier-s-wife ]http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10518423-the-soldier-s-wife
Meeting date: March 7th 3:30 in the library
4. Humor read and share: Once again pick something to read and share. This can be a novel, short story or even a poem. As with the classic, we'll let the rest of the group know our thoughts.
Meeting date: May 2nd 3:30 library
5. Year-end get together: June 2012
One at a Time - Try to draw teachers into conversations about their teaching to find ways to connect their work with library program goals. Subversive strategies to get them into the library: home baking, Advil, chocolate, sore throat losenges, tea.
Departmental Connections- Connect with each Department Head and see if you can wrangle an invite to an upcoming department meeting. Ask if your email can be included on each school department email list serve so you can learn about each departments' goals and how you can assist them in achieving these. . You can also use Department email lists to forward ideas, strategies, webinairs, or information that targets graphic novels, content-area instruction, reluctant readers, etc, Thanks, Sylvia and Marilyn for these important ideas! It can be helpful to create a file folder for each major department to organize ideas to share, keep copies of handouts, and notes about your discussions for followup. Get the office to print off lists of more specific teacher assignments as you need them - then you can easily send off a quick note about a lesson plan to the Gr. 9 SS teachers, or DEAR information to all the English teachers.
Art Teachers - Can help you out with the design of new bookmarks, filling your display space with their class projects, etc. Invite your art teacher and art students to create painted canvasses with colourful images describing the Dewey categories for the non-fiction section.
Special Classes - Our Discovery program students will help to roll coins, repot plants, shop for supplies or giftcards, shred confidential documents, create notepads from scrap paper, deliver paper for the printer and photocopier. Chat to these special teachers as they are always looking for life skill projects for their students and love to be included in library activities.
Crazy Happenings - Whether it is Flash Mob or Lip Dub presentation, or a staff basketball game - try to get involved.
Babies Need Books - I purchase pre-schooler books to welcome the new babies on staff. These have been a great hit and helps to forge relationships with staff members.
Thank you Cards - A donated book, a neat suggestion or useful feedback, or help with a technology issue - a thank you card is always appreciated. Create a special set just for your library.
Weeding - Encourage specialty or elective teachers to help you weed your photography, woodworking, or psychology sections of the library.
Leadership Team - You might not get paid a Department Head stipend but it's still a great idea to attend Leadership Team meetings to ensure that the Library is involved in school-wide decision making.
Administration Connections
Research and Advocacy - Make a copy of advocacy articles, highlight the key points, write on a personal note i.e. "Latest research on the importance of having a teacher librarian in all secondary schools", and deliver in person to your administrators.
Share Good Newsabout Colleagues - If you had a great collaborative session be sure to mention this to the administration. "Mrs. Smith's classes were exploring Animoto today", "Mr. K's History classes are struggling to write inquiry questions to direct their major research report - it's a real switch from assigning topics but he's finding that the kids are really engaged".
Annual Library Report - Place the headings into a document and add to this throughout the year. By June the majority of your report will be finished. Now, any tips on how you can actually get the administration to read about the work you do in the secondary school library? Use these headings but jazz up your report with some photos of your library in action.
MAKING CONNECTIONS
Library Advisory Council
Consider creating a student LAC so that you can actively involve students in the needs and future direction of the school library.
Use this sample to create an announcement for your school bulletin or newsletter.
Our LAC has helped to: write our mission statement, put a school-wide library survey into "kidspeak", decorate the library, create library book displays, host a Poetry Slam evening, host a Chapters Fundraiser, collect used eyeglasses, select furniture for the library, assist with selection of resources, write book reviews, collect books for a fire-ravaged school library, sponsor injured owls,etc.
Student Connections
Be Visible and Approachable - Greet the students, actively try to remember the names of a few students (printout of patron photo), stand by the door and say good-bye as students head out to class in the morning, offer to help with book selections, wander about the tables and have a short conversation, check your library "corners" for lost souls and initiate a conversation, try to not appear too busy to help when students approach you, anticipate needs... "Have you tried the Shmoop website?", "Need a pair of scissors?", etc.
Gr. 8 Orientations - If you do schoolwide orientations with all Gr. 8 English classes during the start of the year, you will be able to make invaluable connections with the Gr. 8s. It's a way to introduce them to the library space and available resources in a comfortable way.
Book Review Slips - When a student raves about a book we invite them to complete a book review. Have these handy to give out at the circulation desk, even offer to jot down the student's words as they speak. Display the reviews with a colour picture of the book cover in acrylic holders near the book's locations. Completed reviews go into draw for book/Starbucks prizes. Consider asking several English teachers (junior or senior) to have their classes write these for display in the Library. Another great idea from TL Shanna is to have the new Grade 8s fill out a book recommendation form and stick it in or near the book on the shelf to make their mark on the library. What a fun surprise for whoever signs out the book next!
Book Wish Requests - Students can fill out a small form to request a book to be added to the library's collection. If time, check out the book immediately on Amazon, print off the description and ISBN number, record the requesting student's name, and place the order into your Wish List file.
Whiteboard Whimsy - Ask for comments, provide some whiteboard markers, and enjoy the results - Favourite Summer Read, Grads - Share your Plans?, Wish Mr. Simpson luck on his Marathon run, etc. Post clippings from the newspaper, sports photos, upcoming events at the local public library, anything you think your teens would enjoy reading.
Counter Cards - Even when you are not available, keep the communication going with a small note...."Back in 5 Minutes - at the Office", "Yup, the darn Printer is Down Again", "Help yourself to a bag of apple slices", etc. I have these all written, stacked up and ready to go under the counter.
Chocolate Bars and Candies - I have a basket of these on hand for thanking those great students who help me solve AV issues, offer to move furniture about when the custodians don't show, replace the wheels which fall off my book cart, or deliver heavy boxes to and from my car. Teens will do anything for a bag of Skittles.
Tap into Talents - Have a fabulous artist or Photoshop wizard in your school, know someone with an unusual collection or interest, or possibly you have a pro-golfer in your student body? Tap into these talents by inviting the students to design library signs, bookmarks, webpage projects, design the next library display, or suggest new titles. Two of our Ceramic students made me alligators to display in the library, one boy brought in boxes of his Harry Potter collection to create a dramatic display, another artistic type designed a series of graphic novel bookmarks, and one Art student painted our windows with evergreen branches for the winter.
Conduct a Survey - I would suggest conducting an online survey, but if not you might want to try a paper version using enlisting some of your English classes. I managed an 85% return on a paper one because of our limited computer access. It was very worthwhile as I discovered some great information which directed changes the students wanted. Our WGSS survey was shared with and edited by both my University of Alberta Education Research professor and the LAC before it was administered. Feel free to adapt it to your needs.
Staff Connections
Gr. 8 Orientations - connect with teachers by offering them a chance to do their work in a corner of the library while you introduce the library to their classes, send a follow-up letter (attach a red pen or bookmark) to entice them to come down another time.
Library Blend - An idea from Kelly: I do the Tuesday morning coffee as a connection for staff and as a way to welcome new people to the school. It's become quite a tradition and the numbers are really good. We're at the stage where I've had to buy another coffee pot and people sign up to bring goodies. We have a small room where we can meet fairly privately and that also helps bring them in. I like it because we get a variety of people. Men, women, teachers, SEAs, admin, and staff from a number of departments. Every so often I send out a reminder invitation to the entire staff.
Book Club - Another Kelly suggestion: We also have a staff book club that's been quite successful. Again it allows us to make connections and get together to speak about something other than our students for a change! We choose the books in the spring so they can be read during the summer when we all have more time. Here's a copy of my emails throughout the school year to the group:
1. "Classic" read and share - Pick your own classic to read over the summer so you can discuss it in the fall. You decide what constitutes a "classic" and then let the rest of the group know your thoughts. Would you recommend it to others? Why? Why not? Did you learn anything from it? Did you love/hate the author? Are classics still worth reading?
Meeting date: Thursday, October 25th 3:30 in the library.
2. The Fortress of Clouds by Jordan Peters. That's right, we have our own published author at Argyle! I spoke to Jordan and he'd be happy to come to our meeting and talk about his experiences writing this young adult fantasy. It's available on 6 of the Argyle Kindles, or you can download it onto your own device. Follow this link to find it:
[ http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/82123 ]http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/82123
Meeting date: Thursday, December 6th 3:30 in library - celebrate the season at this one?
3. Historical Fiction: "The Soldier's Wife" by Mary Leroy World War Two, Guernsey Island, German Occupation
[ http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10518423-the-soldier-s-wife ]http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10518423-the-soldier-s-wife
Meeting date: March 7th 3:30 in the library
4. Humor read and share: Once again pick something to read and share. This can be a novel, short story or even a poem. As with the classic, we'll let the rest of the group know our thoughts.
Meeting date: May 2nd 3:30 library
5. Year-end get together: June 2012
One at a Time - Try to draw teachers into conversations about their teaching to find ways to connect their work with library program goals. Subversive strategies to get them into the library: home baking, Advil, chocolate, sore throat losenges, tea.
Departmental Connections- Connect with each Department Head and see if you can wrangle an invite to an upcoming department meeting. Ask if your email can be included on each school department email list serve so you can learn about each departments' goals and how you can assist them in achieving these. . You can also use Department email lists to forward ideas, strategies, webinairs, or information that targets graphic novels, content-area instruction, reluctant readers, etc, Thanks, Sylvia and Marilyn for these important ideas! It can be helpful to create a file folder for each major department to organize ideas to share, keep copies of handouts, and notes about your discussions for followup. Get the office to print off lists of more specific teacher assignments as you need them - then you can easily send off a quick note about a lesson plan to the Gr. 9 SS teachers, or DEAR information to all the English teachers.
Art Teachers - Can help you out with the design of new bookmarks, filling your display space with their class projects, etc. Invite your art teacher and art students to create painted canvasses with colourful images describing the Dewey categories for the non-fiction section.
Special Classes - Our Discovery program students will help to roll coins, repot plants, shop for supplies or giftcards, shred confidential documents, create notepads from scrap paper, deliver paper for the printer and photocopier. Chat to these special teachers as they are always looking for life skill projects for their students and love to be included in library activities.
Crazy Happenings - Whether it is Flash Mob or Lip Dub presentation, or a staff basketball game - try to get involved.
Babies Need Books - I purchase pre-schooler books to welcome the new babies on staff. These have been a great hit and helps to forge relationships with staff members.
Thank you Cards - A donated book, a neat suggestion or useful feedback, or help with a technology issue - a thank you card is always appreciated. Create a special set just for your library.
Weeding - Encourage specialty or elective teachers to help you weed your photography, woodworking, or psychology sections of the library.
Leadership Team - You might not get paid a Department Head stipend but it's still a great idea to attend Leadership Team meetings to ensure that the Library is involved in school-wide decision making.
Administration Connections
Research and Advocacy - Make a copy of advocacy articles, highlight the key points, write on a personal note i.e. "Latest research on the importance of having a teacher librarian in all secondary schools", and deliver in person to your administrators.
Share Good News about Colleagues - If you had a great collaborative session be sure to mention this to the administration. "Mrs. Smith's classes were exploring Animoto today", "Mr. K's History classes are struggling to write inquiry questions to direct their major research report - it's a real switch from assigning topics but he's finding that the kids are really engaged".
Annual Library Report - Place the headings into a document and add to this throughout the year. By June the majority of your report will be finished. Now, any tips on how you can actually get the administration to read about the work you do in the secondary school library? Use these headings but jazz up your report with some photos of your library in action.